Cheltenham Betting 2022 Free Bets, Offers & Tips

With betting available all year round, and plenty to look forward to, Cheltenham talk never goes away and here we have some great free bets that you can use if you want to place wagers on the greatest National Hunt racing festival of them all.

The 2022 Cheltenham Festival will take place on 15-18 March, 2022, and racing fans will be eagerly anticipating their return, after no fans were allowed to attend in 2021.

As March 15th 2022 draws closer keep your eyes peeled on this page. It really is your one-stop-shop for absolutely everything Cheltenham!

Cheltenham Betting Offers 2022

The bookies always up to their game when it comes to Cheltenham and you’ll find dozens upon dozens of betting offers available.

1

Paddy Power

Bet £20, And get it Back as Cash if it Loses

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• Excellent football odds from leagues all over the world
• Fun promotional offers and incentives for all customers
• State of the art mobile app for betting on the go

New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any market and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using cards will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply.

2

Betfair

Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets

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• The world’s biggest betting exchange
• Fixed odds, cashback specials and bonuses added to winnings on multiple bets
• Wide range and coverage of daily enhanced odds offers

Place a min £10 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £30 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly

3

Tote

Bet £5 Get £20 in Free Bets

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• UK bookmaker that have a history dating back to 1927
• All racecourses at the Tote
• Racecards from all UK & IE

New customers online only. Place your first bet on racing pools for a minimum of £5 and win or lose you will receive £20 Tote Credit. £20 Tote Credit rewarded as £10 redeemable against racing bets only and £10 redeemable against UK and Irish placepot bets only. Tote Credit cannot be withdrawn, exchanged, or substituted and expires after 7 days. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool bet added to the bet-slip. Ten to Follow, virtual and football bets do not qualify. Totewin will be the qualifying bet when a Totewin and a Toteplace bet are struck at the same time. New UK & ROI customers only. 18+. Full T&Cs apply.

4

888 Sport

Bet £10 And Get £30 In Free Bets +£10 Casino Bonus

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• Huge number of sports betting options, bonuses and promos
• Live Horse Racing Streaming
• Betting blog & betting guide

Min deposit £/€/$10 • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £/€/$10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days • To withdraw bonus/related wins, wager the bonus amount 40 times within 14 days • Casino Bonus expires after 60 days • Withdrawal restrictions, payment methods, country & Full T&C’s Apply. 18+. BeGambleAware.org

5

Bet365

Bet £10 & Get £50 in Free Bets

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• The world's favourite online sports betting company
• Bet365 offers an amazing App including Live Streaming
• The most comprehensive In-Play service

Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

6

Betfred

GET £60 In Bonuses when you stake £10

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• Special bets and promotions as their popular double delight offers
• Strong emphasis on UK and Irish markets
• Daily Odds Boosts and special prices

New UK customers only. Register using the promo code BETFRED60, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £20 in Free Bets to be used on Sports, £10 in Free Bets to be used on Lotto and 50 Free Spins (20p per spin) credited within 10 hours of bet settlement. Further £20 in Free Bets credited 5 days after settlement. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required. Full T&Cs apply.

7

William Hill Sports

Bet £10 Get £40 in free bets (Mobile Only)

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• Listed on the Stock exchange and licensed in UK and EU
• Wide range of William hill promo code offers when signing up
• Diverse range of games, betting and gambling

18+. Play Safe. Sign-up via Mobile using promo code P40 and place a bet of £10/€10 or more and we will give you 4x £10/€10 free bets. By entering the Promo code in the box above you agree to the full terms and conditions of this promotion as displayed below.

Not only will you find tons of Cheltenham offers, but also plenty variations of offers too. For a punter, it might as well be Christmas!

Best Cheltenham Offers for Existing Customers

The Cheltenham Festival really is the perfect time to open up a new betting account. With so many fantastic promotions and free bets being offered it’s also a great opportunity for existing customers who can take advantage of a few free bets too. Online bookmakers are falling over themselves to get your business and in doing so give away all sorts of amazing offers over the four-day Festival – such as ‘Money Back if Your Horse Loses’. Combined they make it hard to lose money. In fact, if you’re shrewd you can even guarantee yourself a profit.

Best Cheltenham Bookmaker

While it’s always a good idea to have multiple betting accounts giving you access to more Cheltenham free bets and offers, perhaps the best all-round Cheltenham bookmaker is bet365. Not only were they the first bookie to offer ‘NRNB’ terms (Non Runner No Bet), they also offer ‘Best Odds Guaranteed’ on all Cheltenham races, and you can also pick up risk free bets if you back a Cheltenham winner at 4/1 or more in any live ITV race with their Feature Race 4/1 Offer.* bet365 also live streams all Cheltenham races via their website.

Types of Cheltenham Offers

There’s a wide range of Cheltenham offers available both in the run-up and during the Cheltenham Festival. The good old free bet is the mainstay but there are also enhanced odds offers, money back specials and ‘Non Runner No Bet’ (NRNB) markets for ante post betting.

Among the most popular Cheltenham betting offers delivered by bookies are:

Cheltenham Ante Post Offers

Ante Post offers give punters the opportunity to lock in good value bets early. Ante post is essentially placing a bet on a future Cheltenham race and you’ll find the likes of Paddy Power, Ladbrokes and William Hill have a large number of early ante post offers available for the vast majority of Cheltenham Festival races.

Non Runner No Bet (‘NRNB’)

This market is perfect for those getting their Cheltenham bets in early. Essentially, the offer means you’ll receive your stake back should the horse you back not run in the race.

You’ll find it on most bookmaker’s sites in the build up to Cheltenham.

For example, you might want to place a bet on A Plus Tard at 20/1. Non Runner No Bet operates as a type of insurance, where if Altior was then not to run, the bookie would offer your stake back.

Cheltenham Money Back Specials

Money-back specials are great offers, well worth keeping an eye out for if there’s a big favourite in the race. What they do is offer you your stake back (usually as a free bet) if your bet loses and a certain outcome does occur.

In horse racing this is usually if the favourite wins and your horse is 2nd or sometimes if your horse loses by a narrow margin. So, for example, Coral may offer money-back on any losing bet if your horse loses by a head or less.

Enhanced Odds Offers

Enhanced odds are a type of odds that boost your profits and are always offered by the big names come Cheltenham.

This will usually be on the favoured horses in order to win your custom. So what you might find is a bookie will boost a horse priced 4/5 to 5/1 to lure punters in but the maximum stake allowed will be set quite low.

Cheltenham Free Bets Offers

The most common type of Cheltenham betting offer is a good old free bet. Usually offered to new customers, you’ll receive free stake money added to your bankroll which can then be played on Cheltenham markets.

You’ll find dozens of these from no deposit free bets to 100% match bonuses on your first deposit.

Also check back with us as the new year hits to get all the best Cheltenham free bet offers.

Tote Betting on Cheltenham

Tote betting is an offer and type of bet in which punters select a series of winners across the day and put their stake into a prize pool.

The prize pool is then split between the punters who correctly predicted the most winners.

Cheltenham 2022 Betting Specials

The offers don’t stop there either, with plenty of other specials offered in the build up to the Festival.

Among the other betting offers available include…

Acca Insurance

Accumulator insurance is the perfect offer if you’re placing an accumulator across a day at Cheltenham. What it does is offer you a safety net and returns your stake as a free bet should just one horse on your accumulator let you down.

Faller Insurance

You never know what’s going to happen in horse racing, which makes faller insurance a popular offer among many punters.

What the offer does is return your stake as a free bet should the horse you back fall during the race. It can happen to even the favourite, so make sure you’re wager is protected.

Lucky 15/31/63

These are more types of strategy, with Lucky 15 (or 31/63) covering all angles of a bet. It’s a wager on four selections and is made up of four singles, six doubles, four trebles and a four-fold accumulator.

This is aimed to make a large profit if all four selections win, and still profit if only a selection of them pass the post first.

Best Odds Guaranteed

Playing best odds guaranteed markets gives you the opportunity to lock in the best price on the horse you wish to back. You may back a horse at 4/1, but if the horse’s starting price is then 6/1 and it wins, you’ll be paid out at the 6/1 odds.

Best Cheltenham Jockey Odds

At the Cheltenham Festival you can also bet on which jockey will win the most races. This is a good bet as it will give you an interest in lots of races over the four days for just one stake. In 2021, Rachael Blackmore was the ‘Top Cheltenham Jockey’ with an amazing six winners. Her odds at the start of the Festival were 10/1.

In 2022, the favourite jockeys to win are Paul Towend, Rachael Blackmore and Davy Russell. If there is a tie the number of places is used to determine the winner.

Best Cheltenham Trainer Odd

There’s also a betting market for ‘Best Cheltenham Trainer’ with many bookmakers offering odds on this market. Winning the best trainer award at the Cheltenham Festival is one of the most prestigious accomplishments a trainer can land in horse racing. Last year’s winner was once again the Irish supremo Willie Mullins, who won it for a third year on the bounce with six winners. The master of Closutton has now won this accolade an incredible eight times since 2011.

Top Cheltenham Outsider Tips

Everyone loves backing a big odds winner at Cheltenham and there are usually plenty of them, especially in the big handicap races. Identifying such winners is no easy task though.

In the Turners Novices’ Chase Haute En Couleurs could be the one to take on Bob Olinger and co at odds of 12/1 with Coral. Other eye-catchers that could run big races this year are Remastered at 25/1 with Unibet for the Ultima Handicap Chase and Broomfield Burg in the County Hurdle at 16/1 with Betfred. If you manage to obtain free bets, they are wisely employed on big odds fancies.

Cheltenham Betting Markets

As race week draws closer you’ll find dozens of Cheltenham betting markets to enjoy, and even now you’ll find plenty to make a few bob on.

You’ll often find better Cheltenham odds around now, with less form having been taken into account.

The ‘To Win Any Race’ At Cheltenham betting market is often a good route to go down at this early stage as you won’t find out which races are running until later in the new year.

You will find odds on almost every race at the Cheltenham Festival already though, from The Gold Cup to Stayers Hurdle odds and the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle odds.

Naturally, it may become the case at this early stage your horse might not end up running at all. Plenty of bookmakers will give you Non Runner No Bet markets, which essentially means you won’t lose out.

This means it’s never too early to enjoy the Cheltenham betting markets and back your horse at good odds before they could get slimmer.

The variety of betting market to choose from are:

• Bet on a Horse to Win or “Each-Way” The simplest and most straightforward of horse racing bets. Pick any horse to win the race or go “each way”. Each way betting is essentially 2 bets (win & place) and the number of places the bookies will pay out on varies depending on number of runners and type of race. Usually it’s the first 3 horses home but in big handicap races this extends to the first four and in some cases the bookmakers will offer ‘enhanced place terms’ where you can get five or sometimes even six places or more. So watch out for these!
• Forecast / Tricast Betting This type of horse race bet asks you to make predictions of the 1-2 or 1-2-3 horses home. Predicting the first two horses is known as the Forecast and predicting the first three is known as the Tricast. You can ‘perm’ several horses into combination bets to increase your chances of winning. For example 3 horses in a combination Tricast is 6 bets in total, as there are 6 possible permutations. As you can imagine, a winning Tricast bet can pay very handsome returns.
• Match Betting This type of bet pits two specific horses in same race against one other in what is known as a ‘Match Bet’ and you are betting on which horse will do best out of these two horses. For example, if your horse finishes 5th and the other horse finishes 8th then you win.
• Placepot & Scoop6 Pool Betting The Placepot bet asks you to predict a horse to finish placed in the first 6 races, and the Scoop6 is a jackpot type bet that needs you predict 6 winners. These bets are ‘Tote pool’ type bets where all the stakes go into a big pool and then are re-distributed out to the winners in the form of a dividend. The fewer winners the bigger the payout will be. These are difficult bets to win but the rewards can be rewarding! If the Scoop6 is not won it is rolled over to the next day for an even bigger jackpot.
• Top Festival Trainer Betting Markets A special bet on which trainer will end the Cheltenham Festival with the most winners. These novelty bets can give you an interest over the entire Festival as you can cheer on every horse of your chosen trainer. Irish trainers have dominated in recent years with Gordon Elliott winning the last 2 years and Willie Mullins for the 4 years prior to that.
• Top Festival Jockey Betting Markets As above but this time we are betting on which jockey will win the most races during the 4-day Cheltenham Festival. Davy Russell was the Top Cheltenham Festival Jockey last year with 4 wins but Ruby Walsh has dominated this in recent years having won the top jockey accolate an incredible 10 times since 2006.
• GB vs Ireland Prestbury Cup Winners The Prestbury Cup, named after Prestbury Park on which the famous Cheltenham racecourse sits, is given to the winning most nation over the 4-day Cheltenham Festival. This competition is a straight match between Great Britain and Ireland.
• Horses to ‘Win ANY Race’ at the Festival Often trainers do not know which Cheltenham races to target their horses at until nearer the time and so will enter them into multiple Cheltenham Festival races. This can be a bit of a headache for ante post betting. However, some bookmakers will offer special odds on horses to win any race at the Festival thereby taking the guesswork out of which race a horse will ultimately run in.

What & When Is This Year’s Cheltenham Festival?

The 2022 Cheltenham Festival takes place over four days, between Tuesday 15th of March and Friday 18th of March, attracting the very best jumps horses from the UK and Ireland.

Taking place at Prestbury Park in Cheltenham, Gloucester, it is the highlight of the National Hunt season and widely regarded as one of the best horse racing Festivals anywhere in the world.

The Festival is centred around four main Championship races, the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the Stayers Hurdle and the highlight of the week, the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Cheltenham 2022 Race Schedule & Racecards

Our Cheltenham Festival page is here to keep you up to date with all the latest news, top tips and value odds for the big week, so make sure to bookmark this page and check back regularly.

Here is the full schedule including links to dedicated race pages to each of the races (odds & racecards) and updated results:

Three From Home Podcast

Ed Quigley, Kate Tracey and Frankie Foster are back at it, reminiscing about the highs and lows of a brilliant Cheltenham Festival 2022, and there’s an open dance floor for our experts who give their first thoughts on the 2023 event.

The trio also give us those all-important Three From Home Weekend NAPs, as Lincoln Day marks the return of flat racing in 2022, and they’re also across the rest of your weekend racing too!

Your Racing Weekend Starts Here!

Previous Cheltenham Gold Cup Winners:

• 2021: Minella Indo – Trainer: Henry de Bromhead, Jockey: Jack Kennedy
• 2020: Al Boum Photo – Trainer: Willie Mullins, Jockey: Paul Townend
• 2019: Al Boum Photo – Trainer: Willie Mullins, Jockey: Paul Townend
• 2018: Native River – Trainer: Colin Tizzard, Jockey: Richard Johnson
• 2017: Sizing John – Trainer: Jessica Harrington, Jockey: Robbie Power
• 2016: Don Cossack – Trainer: Gordon Elliott, Jockey: Bryan Cooper
• 2015: Coneygree – Trainer: Mark Bradstock, Jockey: Nico De Boinville
• 2014: Lord Windermere – Trainer: Jim Culloty, Jockey: Davy Russell
• 2013: Bobs Worth – Trainer: Nicky Henderson, Jockey: Barry Geraghty

Cheltenham Trials Day Betting

Before the Cheltenham Festival takes place in March, you’ll get the chance to see some of the key runners on Cheltenham Trials Day. Not only is it the chance to take advantage of a few Cheltenham free bets early on, it’s also a great opportunity to study the form ahead of race day in March.

Make sure to check back on this page closer to Cheltenham Trials Day to get a full rundown off the key horses and trial races, best odds and offers for the big day in view of the main Festival just a few weeks later.

How To Use Cheltenham Free Bets

Most bookmakers today have sites that are incredibly easy to navigate and you’ll have no problem cashing in your Cheltenham Festival free bet.

How you use your free bet can vary from bookmaker to bookmaker, with some restrictions being in place when it comes to both spending it and withdrawing any winnings.

However, those with another bookmaker account or an account with a betting exchange are able to lock-in a profit from free bets without any risk. You can calculate how much profit can be locked into your free bets with our Back/Lay Hedging Calculator.

Restrictions on free bets vary between bookmakers and it is in your best interests to know what to look for. It can save time and disappointment later down the line and will help you make the best of the your Cheltenham free bets.

What to Know Before Using Your 2022 Cheltenham Festival Free Bets

• Free Bet stakes are not included in returns: It’s not standard practice for bookmakers to include your Free Bet stake in any potential winning returns you claim. Typically you will only receive the winnings from your Free Bet.
• Minimum Odds: The majority of Free Bet Deposit Bonuses come with a minimum odds qualifying requirement that usually varies between about 1/5 (1.20) and 6/4 (2.50).
• Rollover Requirement: Bookmakers will often have a rollover requirement on your initial Free Bet Deposit Bonus that stipulates that your initial Free Bet bonus must be wagered a set number of times before you’re permitted to withdraw any potential Free Bet winnings.
• Free Bet Expiry: Any Free Bets will almost always come with an expiry date. These cut off dates vary, but are usually within either 7 or 30 days of them being first awarded.
• Bet Type Restrictions: Free Bets can almost always be used as a single bet and they are also usually fine to use in accumulators.
• Betting product restrictions: A Free Bet is usually restricted to be used in the specific area it was allocated for so, for example, a sportsbook Free Bet will only be acceptable for use in the bookmaker sportsbook and can’t be used in the casino or poker room.

FAQs

When is Cheltenham 2022?

The 2022 Cheltenham Festival takes place from Tuesday 15th March (first race 1.20pm) and ends on Friday 18th March (last race 4.50pm).

What time is the Cheltenham Gold Cup?

The Cheltenham Gold Cup of 2022 is due off at 3.05pm on Friday 18th March.

How to bet on Cheltenham?

The most popular bets at Cheltenham are the straight win bet or each way bets. Each way bets consist of two bets, one to win and one to place. So a £5 each way bet will cost £10 in total, but you will get a return if your horse is placed. There are other more exotic bets such as doubles, trebles and Lucky 15’s. These combined multiple bets roll up with the winnings from one horse going onto the next, and can lead to some big payouts if successful!

Who won the Cheltenham Gold Cup?

In 2021, Minella Indo (9/1) ridden by Jack Kennedy won the Cheltenham Gold Cup for Henry de Bromhead, who became the first trainer to win the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, and Gold Cup in the same year. A Plus Tard came second, and Al Boum Photo, who was bidding for a historic treble in the race, came home in third place.

Where is the Cheltenham racecourse?

Cheltenham racecourse is on Evesham Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 4SH, England.

Where to watch Cheltenham live?

The Cheltenham Festival is broadcast live on ITV and the Racing UK channel. You can also watch Cheltenham races live at most major UK bookmakers such as bet365, Coral and Betfred. In some cases you may be required to place a small qualifying bet to watch. (usually £1 minimum)

Can I watch Cheltenham on mobile?

Yes. There are mobile apps for ITV Racing (free to air), Sky Sports Racing (free to air) and Racing UK (subscription) that will allow you to watch Cheltenham races and trial races live on your mobile devices or tablets. There are also Cheltenham apps and bookmaker radio stations such as bet365, William Hill, Paddy Power and Betfair which can be accessed directly via their betting apps or sites. They cover horse racing and provide live Cheltenham commentaries, and in some cases live pictures.